A demora do comboio preocupa o chefe.

The train delay worries the boss.

Breakdown of A demora do comboio preocupa o chefe.

• de: of
• preocupar: to worry
• o comboio: the train
• o chefe: the boss
• a demora: the delay

Questions & Answers about A demora do comboio preocupa o chefe.

What does demora mean and how is it used in Portuguese?

Demora is a feminine noun meaning “delay.” It comes from the verb demorar (“to delay” or “to take time”). You use it to refer to the fact that something is running late or taking longer than expected. Examples:

• A demora do comboio = “the train delay”
• Houve muita demora no atendimento = “there was a long delay in the service”

Why is do used in demora do comboio?

Do is a contraction of the preposition de (“of” or “from”) + the masculine singular article o (“the”). So demora do comboio literally means “delay of the train,” just like English uses “of.”

Why is comboio used instead of trem?

Comboio is the word for “train” in European Portuguese. In Brazilian Portuguese, you would say trem. Since the sentence is in the Portuguese of Portugal, comboio is standard.

What is the subject and what is the verb in this sentence, and which tense is preocupa?

Subject: A demora do comboio
Verb: preocupa (3rd person singular, present indicative of preocupar)
Together they mean “The train’s delay worries the boss.”

Why isn’t the reflexive form preocupa-se used here?

The verb preocupar is transitive in Portuguese when someone or something causes worry:

• Isso preocupa o chefe = “That worries the boss”
  The reflexive form preocupar-se means “to become worried oneself”:
• Ele preocupa-se com tudo = “He worries himself about everything”

Could I rephrase it as O comboio está atrasado e isso preocupa o chefe?

Yes. That version uses estar atrasado (“to be late”) instead of the noun demora. It has essentially the same meaning:

• O comboio está atrasado e isso preocupa o chefe = “The train is late and that worries the boss.”

Why does o chefe need the article o? Can I say just chefe?

In Portuguese, when you refer to a specific person’s role or title, you almost always include a definite article:

• o chefe = “the boss”
  Dropping the article (i.e. saying chefe preocupa) sounds ungrammatical.

Are there synonyms for demora in European Portuguese?

Yes, the most common synonym is atraso (“delay”). You can swap them in many contexts:

• A demora do comboio = O atraso do comboio
  They’re interchangeable when talking about something running late.